That would be $ 350,000 or about P16 million.

"Dahil my belt na ako, siyempre dapat mas mataas na ang purse. Initially, dapat nasa 0,000 na ang prize money," Peñalosa said in yesterday’ session of the SCOOP sa Kamayan in Padre Faura, Manila.

But Peñalosa had reportedly been advised by his former manager Rudy Salud to avoid the hard-punching Mexican who Salud said is too big and too powerful for the 34-year-old Filipino.

Salud is one of the people closest to Peñalosa having acted as manager of the former WBC super-bantamweight champion in past campaigns which unfortunately did not yield a world title.

The Cebuano boxer, however, believes it might be difficult to turn down a fight against De Leon especially if the purse is right.

"Siyempre kung malaki ang prize, baka kalimutan ko na ‘yung advise," Peñalosa said.

Ponce de Leon scored a 12-round unanimous decision win over Peñalosa when they met last March in the undercard of the Marco Antonio Barrera-Juan Manuel Marquez title fight.

The loss came before Peñalosa’s stunning 7th round knockout of Mexican Jhonny Gonzales to snatch the WBO 118-lbs. title in Sacramento, California during the World Cup of boxing pitting fighters from the Philippines and Mexico.

During the same card, Ponce de Leon easily dispatched Filipino prospect Rey ‘‘Boom Boom’’ Bautista in a single round, opening the door for a possible rematch with Peñalosa.

The WBO champion admitted he preferred a rematch against Ponce de Leon rather than face Gonzales again.

"Mas gusto ko si Ponce de Leon. Mahirap na kung si Gonzales, baka bumawi pa," he said. "At tsaka mas malaking posibilidad na matuloy ‘yung laban ko kay Ponce de Leon at least by December."

In his first meeting with the Mexican titlist from Chihuahua City, Peñalosa received $ 60,000 (about P2.7 million).

If an agreement is reached, Peñalosa will challenged Ponce de Leon for his WBO 122-lbs. crown.